Pune: Demolition of Paranjpye Bungalow, where three stalwarts lived, begins

PUNE: The iconic Paranjpye Bungalow on the road named after mathematician Wrangler Raghunath Purshottam Paranjpye that connects Apte Road and Fergusson College Road has witnessed the achievements of three generations contributing in fields as diverse as education, family planning and theatre and cinema.
The bungalow where R P Paranjpye, his daughter Shakuntala, and granddaughter Sai lived is undergoing demolition. It is owned by the Deccan Education Society which runs several educational institutions in the city, including Fergusson College. The structure is being brought down as the walls are crumbling, the authorities said.
DES chairman Sharad Kunte said, "From this vastu, Shakuntala Paranjpye started her work in family planning. The bungalow has become dilapidated, hence the decision to demolish it has been taken."
Wrangler Paranjpye was the first BSc graduate of Fergusson College in 1894 and the first Indian Senior Wrangler at Cambridge. Kunte said, "The bungalow was built in the pre-independence period. Paranjpye lived in this bungalow between 1933 and 1966. Shakuntala and Sai, a well-known filmmaker, too lived here."
Shakuntala's love for cats was well-known and many would be seen wandering around the bungalow. It then earned the name "a bungalow of cats".
Besides the bungalow, the N M Amphitheatre that holds immense importance in Fergusson College was Paranjpye's vision. He was the first principal of the college in the 20th century.
Kunte said, "His tenure marked a period of growth and stability for the college and the DES. It gave the college the status of a premier educational institute of the country." He served on a host of Indian committees and was at the forefront of the Independence struggle, he added.